[Ding!]
[Task: Defend your position for the 3rd week's challenge COMPLETED]
[You have received rewards: 1 free song, +500,000 virtual coins.]
[Congratulations, host.]
'A free song?' Llana raised an eyebrow. 'So I can choose anything from the shop?'
[Yes.]
'Wow, that's great. Thanks,' she said, genuinely surprised.
Getting a song for free was a big deal. Songs in the shop were expensive. The cheapest ones cost around 100,000 virtual coins, while popular tracks from other different worlds could go up to a million. The price depended entirely on their popularity, so a free pick was a huge reward.
Llana let out a small sigh and leaned back in her seat, silently thanking the system. There were no attribute rewards this time, but 500,000 virtual coins and a free song were more than welcome.
Llana focused back on the battle. The next match was between Mina and Eunsuh. Honestly, she had no idea who would win. From what she'd seen during rehearsals earlier, both of them were good.
As usual, the Major performed first, so Mina went up before Eunsuh.
Llana watched Mina's dance closely.
"…Wow," she couldn't help muttering under her breath.
What could she say? Mina's performance was very hot and sexy. It was the kind of stage that pulled your eyes in without trying too hard.
Then it was Eunsuh's turn. Her freestyle started strong. The energy was sharp, her movements confident but halfway through,
....she missed a step.
Llana winced slightly at that.
Eunsuh recovered quickly, but the damage was done. The worst part was that the step she missed was supposed to be the highlight of her performance.
The last battle of the day was between Chaeryeong and Sana. They both also performed great but Chaeryeong's performance is clearly far better than Sana.
So without a doubt, Chaeryeong snatched her seat, taking her place as a Major.
Watching everything unfold, Llana quietly went over the performances in her head. If she had to guess who was in danger of being eliminated based on what she'd seen so far, it would be:
Minyoung.
Jiwon.
Eunsuh.
All three were better than some of the other minors, but today they gave the weakest performances, so no matter how talented they were, they had to be rated accordingly.
Minyoung was a talented singer and songwriter. Jiwon had a powerful vocal that only a few could match. Eunsuh was a skilled dancer—but the group was never short of dancers.
Looking at these options, it was clear that survival would come down to how JYP valued each of them. And Eunsuh's value was lower. She was talented, yes, but her skills weren't rare in the group, and that made her position weaker.
And as expected, Eunsuh lost. Between the two, JYP could only let her go.
Eunsuh had given it her all, but it still wasn't enough.
Sometimes, no matter how much we want something or how hard we try, the outcome isn't ours to control.
______
"I will announce the 4th mission… The next mission is a group performance. There will be four teams competing in this challenge: two from the Major side and two from the Minor side," JYP announced, catching everyone off guard.
"You will also perform in front of a live audience," JYP continued.
A wave of shock rippled through everyone.
This would be their first time performing in front of real people, not just judges and cameras making them nervous but also excited.
"The lowest-ranking group will have one member eliminated," he added calmly.
The room fell noticeably quieter.
The Majors are: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Mina, Somi, Chaeryeong, Llana, and Natty.
The Minors are: Minyoung, Jiwon, Sana, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Momo, and Tzuyu.
Eight majors. Seven minors.
That meant one Minor team would only have three members...a clear disadvantage. On top of that, the Major lineup was stacked with strong performers. The tension in the room thickened, especially among the Minors, as the reality of the mission fully sank in.
No matter how you looked at it, the Major side was complete overkill for the Minors.
The gap was obvious. With such powerful lineups, the Minor teams were already at a huge disadvantage from the start.
In the end, it felt like the Minors would only be fighting among themselves, not against the Majors.
And at the end of the day, the one facing elimination would, once again, come from the Minor side
"One group will only have three members."
"I will now announce the first group from the Major side," JYP said calmly.
"Mina, Chaeryeong, Nayeon, Jeongyeon."
For a moment, Llana, Somi, Natty, and Jihyo simply stared at one another, disbelief flashing across their faces.
"…Wow," Somi muttered before she could stop herself. "Our group would be powerful."
The others instinctively nodded.
"Having Jihyo-unnie, Llana-unnie, and Somi-unnie as my teammates?" Natty's eyes sparkled as excitement bubbled over. In her mind, it already felt like a guaranteed win.
But outside their circle, the mood was completely different.
Llana, Somi, and Jihyo together was already overkill. Three powerhouses on one team. Adding Natty on top of that only made it worse. To many of the trainees, the matching felt blatantly biased—almost unfair.
Then JYP spoke again.
"The first group from the Minor side is… Tzuyu, Momo, and Chaeyoung."
Chaeyoung stiffened the moment she heard the lineup. Her heart sank.
…Isn't this a little weak?
The thought wasn't hers alone. The room quietly agreed. No clear main vocal. Only three members. If Minyoung or Jiwon were there, it would at least feel balanced.
Llana frowned. The first Minor group was badly stacked against the odds. They are outnumbered and their line up is unbalance, they are clearly at disadvantage.
But JYP wasn't done.
"Your group may choose one Major member to move down to the Minor side and join your team."
The words hit like a bomb.
"Eh?!"
Exclamations erupted from every corner of the room.
Llana closed her eyes instinctively, silently hoping she wouldn't be chosen. If she was sent down to the Minors, she would fail to complete a system task that granted a new function—something she had been eagerly waiting for.
So that was it.
That was why she, Jihyo, Natty, and Somi were left..
They were the choices.
Wouldn't that be unfair for the Major member they choose?
"We choose…"
_____
[STATUS]
[ HOST: Llana Ezhel K. Balthazar
GENDER: Female
DATE OF BIRTH: August 27, 1999
HERITAGE: half South Korean, quarter Filipino, quarter American.
TALENT/ABILITIES:
•Singing & Dancing
- Innate performance abilities. Allows accurate vocals, rhythm mastery, fluid choreography, and stage presence.
• Vocal Limit Breaker
– An ability to effortlessly hit any note with perfect control and zero strain. Expands vocal range beyond normal limits, allowing seamless transitions between registers. Immune to vocal fatigue, cracks, or pitch issues even during intense performances.
• Perfect Pitch
- A musical talent that allows the user to instantly recognize, reproduce, and sing any note without a reference. Grants flawless pitch accuracy, enabling precise vocal performance, fast song learning, and perfect harmonization.
• Eidetic Memory
- Ability to perfectly recall any information you see or hear.
ATTRIBUTES:
Singing: 8.904/10
Dancing: 7.68/10
Rapping: 2.314/10
Appearance: 9.018/ 10
Charm: 8.701/10
Perseverance: 8.40/10
Strength: 5.7/10
Endurance: 6/10
__
SONGS OWNED:
- Love Wins All ( by IU)
- Go the Distance ( Disney: Hercules)
- Reasons to Believe (Jayson Dy)
- Lovely (Billie Eilish)
- This is me ( Camp Rock)
UNUSED REWARDS: 1 free song
VIRTUAL COINS: 1,036,000]